There are less than two weeks left before MINEX Russia – the 9th Mining and Exploration Forum which will be held in Moscow 1- 3 October 2013.

The Forum organised under the key theme “Managing mining during economic downturn” will provide a broader perspective on current state of the Russian Mining Industry offering a snapshot on changes which major and junior mining companies are introducing to keep up with the falling commodity prices and to compete in a disciplined investment environment.

According to PwC Global 2013 report mining industry faces confidence crisis. Regaining investor confidence depends on how the industry responds to its rising costs, increasingly volatile commodity prices and other challenges such as resource nationalism. In its new 'Mining Deals' report, PwC revealed that M&A activity in the sector had fallen by some 31% during the first half of this year compared to the previous corresponding period. By geography, Russia and Kazakhstan took the top two spots from Canada and China for the most M&A activity during the first six months of the year, with Russia accounting for over 25% of the deals, followed by Kazakhstan at 19% and the US at 11%.

Will the current level of M&A activity in Russia continue next year?

How are the Russian companies planning to keep up with falling prices and increasing costs?

What measures is the Russian government planning to introduce to support mining industry in economic recession?

Will the Russian Government relax barriers to raise investors’ confidence?

What sources of funding will be available to Russian miners next year?

Will the Russian companies play more active role in overseas investments next year and where?

These and many other issues will be addressed by the Forum’s 100-strong speaker panel over the three days.

The discussion on changes proposed by the Russian Government and Legislators will be led by:

Mr Valery Pak, Vice Minister of the Natural Resources and the newly appointed Head of Russia’s Rosnedra Mineral Resources Agency

Dr. Pavel Maslovsky, Member of The Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management, Council of the Federation, Federal Assembly, the Parliament of the Russian Federation. Honorary President of Petropavlovsk Company

Mikhail Slipenchuk, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology. Founder of Metropol Investment Group

Views on challenges faced by the Mining leaders in Russia will be shared by: